Needle-holder.



No.-35v,s24. PATENTED' JUNE 25.- 71907;

L. c. McNEAL.

N EBDLE HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED 001212, 1905.

z NI) 17 mum; 10 U? Witneooeo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEEDLE-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Application filed October 12, 1905. $erial No. 2823376.

To a whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER O. McNEAL, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needle-Holders and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to surgical needle holders or forceps and it has for its object to provide an instrument adapted to securely hold-needles of various shapes and sizes in which the cooperating supporting or engaging members may be made small in size and are so operated relatively to each other that a needle may be employed in a deep wound or incision and easily grasped or disengaged therein.

My invention has for its further object to provide an improved means of detachably connecting the clamping members of the holder whereby a relatively large opening and closing movement may be obtained between their clamping ends and great force exerted to grasp a needle with but a minimum lateral movement of the members.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a needle holder constructed in accordance with my invention, the parts being shown in open position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in the operative position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the needle holder, shown partly in section, illustrating the position of the arms when the parts are being assembled or disengaged. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line ac9c of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line yyof Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail plan View of the clamping members. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view on line z2 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 illustrating the operation of the clamping members up on the curved needle triangular in cross section.

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

The needle holder embodying my inven tion comprises two clamping members or arms having cooperating clamping surfaces or shoulders which are movable relatively longitudinally when the handle portions of the arms are operated toward or from each other. One of the members or arms, indicated by 1, is provided at its forward end with an offset portion 2 having a head 3, the inner edge of which forms a clamping shoulder 4. The adjacent side of the portion 2 forms a needle supporting surface 5. The offset 2 is also provided with a cylindrical aperture 6. The other clamping member or arm, indicated by 7, has its forwardly extending end 8 rounded to fit within and be guided by the sides of the aperture 6 so that the surface or shoulder 9 is held in operative position in front of the surface 4 and may cooperate therewith to clamp a needle. The offset portion 2 is also provided with a slot 10, connected to the aperture 6, in which travels a web 15 on the end 8 of the otherclamping member. This web projecting beneath the needle supporting surfaces serves to strengthen the operating end of the arm 7 enabling the members to be fitted together loosely and needles having a small diameter to be clamped as securely as larger ones.

Many surgical needles are made triangular in cross section while others are triangular only at one end but as the method of stitching requires the operator to release the needle after it has been inserted and withdraw it, by grasping its projecting forward end, I have provided a small angular notch 9 in the face 9, which. is above the needle supporting surface 5 and is adapted to engage the edge of such a needle, as shown in Fig. 8.

The clamping surface 4 extends outwardly from the surface 5 at approximately a right angle at its lateral edges, indicated by 16 in Fig. 6, and its intermediate or central portion is rounded or curved outwardly forming an overhanging lip 17. The lower edge of the clamping surface, adjacent the needle supporting surface, is straight permitting either a straight needle or one formed upon a curve of either a long or short radius to be firmly clamped thereon when engaged by the shoulder or surface 9 on the other member. It will be seen that by making the clamping surface 4 broader than the cooperating sur face 9 that a curved needle will be supported by the vertically extending edges 16 and prevented from being either tilted on the holder or broken by the pressure of the clamping surfaces. The centralportion orlip 17 of the clamping surface projecting above the needle serves to seat the latter on the supporting surface 5 and also prevent it from being wrenched or twisted from between the clamping surfaces.

In order to cause a relatively longitudinal movement of the clamping surfaces, through a distance great enough to permit the device to receive needles of various sizes, and with a minimum movement of the rear ends or handles 1 and 7 of the arms 1 and 7 respec tively, I employ a toggle connection between them comprising the link 19. The latter is provided at each end with laterally extending pivot pins 20-25 j ournaled in apertures or perforations formed in the arms or in lugs or bosses 26 and 27 preferably arranged upon their inner sides. Each of the lugs is divided centrally into two halves or sections by a longitudinally extending slot, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and to facilitate the removal and insertion of the link the material at one side of one of the half sections of each of the bosses is cut away to form an open bearing. This provides each arm with a locking projection 28 which overlaps the side of the link, to prevent its removal, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and portions 29 which receive the thrust of the journal pins. The toggle connection between the arms enables their operating ends to be disengaged as shown in Fig. 3, when the parts may be further separated by moving the link laterally todisengage it from the arms. Extending rearwardly from the link is a spring finger 30 the end of which cooperates with the arm 7 and normally exerts a tendency to rotate the link in the direction to separate the handles. The end of the spring is provided with an elongated slot or aperture 31 into which extends a hook projection 32 which cooperates with the end of the slot to limit the movement ofthe link, as shown in Fig. 1, and normally prevents the disengagement of the parts of the holder. At their rear ends the handles are provided with the usual or any preferred form of interlocking retaining devices for securing them in operative position, which in the present instance comprises a plurality of ratchet teeth 33 on one handle with which engages the edge of a lip 34 on the other. handle, as shown in Fig. 2.

In assembling a needle holder the link 19 is first secured to one of the arms by inserting one of the pins 20 or 25' in the respective bosses 26 and 27 and it is then attached in a similar manner to the other arm. The parts are then in the position shown in Fig. 3 and by a relative tilting movement of the forward end of the arms the portion 8 may be brought into alinement with the aperture 6 and inserted therein by a relative longitudinal movement of the arms which cause the link to lie in the position shown in Fig. 1 when the end of the spring 30 may be readily engaged with the hook 32.

The means of clamping a needle which I employ comprising two relatively longitudinally movable members enables the forward ends of the arms to be made comparatively small in size and as there is no increase in the space occupied by them, when opened to release a needle, the holder may be employed in stitching deep wounds without materially interfering with the operators view of the needle. By employing a toggle connection between the arms a wide range of movement between the clamping members may be obtained and a great force exerted to clamp a needle between them with only a slight relative movement of the handles laterally of each other. Further, the link and the arrangement of its bearings, as I have shown and described them, provides a simple means of uniting the parts and locking them. in operative engagement which also facilitates their disengagement when it is desired to cleanse or asepticize the instrument.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a needle holder, the combination with two clamping members having cotip- 9 erating ends at one extremity and operating handles at the other, one of said members being guided on the other, means connecting the members to move their clamping ends relatively longitudinally when the handles are adjusted toward and from each other.

2. In a needle holder, the combination with two members movable relatively toward and from each other and having clamping ends at one extremity and operating handles at the other, the end of one member being guided on the other, of means for moving said ends relatively when the handle portions of the members are adjusted relatively.

3. In a needle holder, the combination with an arm, a guide at the forward end thereof and a second arm having its forward end supported in the guide, of an abutment on one arm, a cooperating shoulder on the other arm and means connecting said arms to cause a relative longitudinal movement of the abutment and shoulder when the rear ends of the arms are moved toward and from each other.

4. In a needle holder, the combination with an arm having a clamping end, a guide located in proximity thereto, and a second arm having a cooperating clamping end supported by the guide, of a toggle connection between the arms operated by a relative lateral movement of the arms.

55 ing transversely extending perforations, of a 5. In a needle holder, the combination with two arms having clamping ends one of which is guided on the other, of a link pivotally connected to the arms in rear of said ends to cause a relative longitudinal movement of the arms.

6. In a needle holder, the combination with two arms having clamping ends one of which is guided on the other, of a link pivotally connected to the arms and positioned thereon to cause the clamping ends to be moved relatively toward each other when the opposite ends of the arms are moved toward each other.

7. In a needle holder, the combination with two arms having cooperating clamping shoulders and bosses on the proximate sides of the arms arranged one in front of the other, of a link pivoted on the bosses and connecting the arms.

8. In a needle holder, the combination with two arms having cooperating clamping ends, means for movably holding them in juxtaposition, of a link and pivot pins carried thereon and j ournaled on the arms.

9. In a needle holder, the combination with two arms having cooperating clamping shoulders, of a link pivotally connecting the arms and means normally operating the link in one direction to separate the arms.

10. In a needle holder, the combination with two arms having cooperating clamping shoulders, of a link pivotally connecting the arms and a spring secured to the link and engaging one of the arms.

11. In a needle holder, the combination with two arms having cooperating clamping shoulders, of a link pivotally connecting the arms and a spring finger secured to the link and engaging one of the arms and means for limiting the movement of the finger on the arm.

12. In a needle holder, the combination with two arms having cooperating clamping shoulders, of a link pivotally connecting the arms and a spring finger secured to the link having a slotted end engaging one of the arms and operating the link to separate the arms and a projection on said arm cooperating with the end of the slot to limit the movement of the link.

13. In a needle holder, the combination with two arms having cooperating clamping shoulders and bosses on the arms provided with longitudinally extending slots and havlink having its ends lying in the slots and pins engaging the perforations and pivotally securing the links.

14. In a needle holder, the combination with two arms having cooperating clamping shoulders and bosses on the arms divided into two sections by longitudinally extending slots and having transversely extending perforations, the perforations in one section of each boss forming an open bearing, of a link and laterally extending pivot pins thereon journaled in said perforations.

15. In a needle holder, the combination with two arms having cooperating clamping shoulders, perforated bosses on the arms, of a link pivoted on the bosses and locking projections on the arms extending over the side of the link when the latter is in normal position.

16. In a needle holder, the combination with two arms having cooperating clamping shoulders, perforated bosses on the arms, of a 'link, laterally extending pins on the ends of 18. In a needle holder, the combination with an arm having an offset portion provided with an aperture and a slot leading therefrom and also provided with an abutment in alinement with the axis of the aperture, of a second arm movable relatively longitudinally of the other arm having a shoulder passing through the aperture and cooperating with the abutment and a web 011 said end guided in said slot.

19. In a needle holder, the combination with an arm having an offset end provided with an aperture and forming supporting and clamping surfaces for a needle, of a second arm, an end thereon passing through the aperture and cormections between the arms for moving the end of the second arm parallel with the supporting surface and relatively to the clamping surface.

20. In a needle holder, the combination with an arm having an offset end provided with an aperture, a supporting surface having a slot and a clamping surface located at the end of the slot in alinement with the axis of the aperture, of a second arm movable relatively longitudinally of the first men tioned arm, an end thereon fitting the aperture and cooperating with the clamping surface and a web on said end guided in said slot.

21. In a needle holder, the combination with a clamping member, a supporting surface thereon and a clamping surface having a lip provided with a portion overhanging the supporting surface, of a second member cooperating with the clamping surface and means for causing a relative longitudinal movement erating with the clamping surface and means of the members. for movmg the members relatively longitu- 1o 22. In a needle holder, the combination dinally. with a elampin member a supportim surface and a clan iping surface extending subl LUTHER MGNEAL' stantially at right angles to the supporting Witnesses: surface at its edges and overhanging said sur- G. WILLARD RICH,

face at the center, of a second member coopl FLORENCE E. FRANCK. 

